Self-induced vomiting and bulimia nervosa: an undetected problem.
Six hundred and twenty women who were currently practising self-induced vomiting to control their weight were identified with the help of a women's magazine. Nineteen women (3.1%) fulfilled diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa. Of the remainder, 499 (83.0%) fulfilled diagnostic criteria for bulimia nervosa, a recently described eating disorder. Of these, 56.1% practised self-induced vomiting at least once daily; the mean duration of vomiting was 4.5 years. Most women were of normal body weight. On standardised measures, 68.1% of women showed pronounced psychiatric morbidity and 89% had profoundly disturbed attitudes to food and eating. 56.4% thought they definitely needed medical help, though only 30.1% had ever discussed any aspect of their eating difficulties with a doctor. This study highlights the secrecy that surrounds bulimia nervosa and suggests that it is an important undetected source of psychiatric morbidity.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006963:Hyperphagia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D008598:Menstruation; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology; D014839:Vomiting / Q000523:psychology*